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Every year, International Rural Women's Day reminds us of the indispensable role rural women play in ensuring food security, sustaining families, and driving the local economy. Yet, behind this celebration lies an uncomfortable truth: many of the initiatives that have improved the lives of rural women in Bangladesh now face uncertainty as donor support-particularly from USAID-wanes.
Over the last two decades, international and national NGOs have profoundly transformed Bangladesh's rural landscape. Their work can be broadly seen in three areas-promoting new knowledge, transferring appropriate technologies, and creating inclusive business models.
Knowledge promotion has revolutionised agricultural and aquacultural practices. A notable example is WorldFish Bangladesh, which has systematically trained farmers in the science of aquaculture. By spreading research-based best practices, it has helped fish farmers enhance productivity and reduce costs-benefiting not only small-scale producers but also the country's broader fish value chain. This has boosted rural farmers' productivity and contributed to food security and economic development in rural Bangladesh. Women, in particular, have benefited by gaining access to better farming techniques, increasing their income through fish farming, and gaining greater economic independence within their households and communities.
Technology transfer has been another pillar of development. International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC) introduced Guti Urea, a technology designed to reduce fertiliser waste in farming, particularly in rice cultivation. This technology involves producing urea briquettes (Guti Urea) that release nitrogen slowly, improving the fertiliser's efficiency. The technology was adapted to Bangladesh's soil and climatic conditions, making it more applicable and effective. The introduction of Guti Urea has reduced production costs, improved crop yields, and led to more sustainable farming practices, benefiting smallholder farmers across the country. Women farmers, in particular, have gained from this innovation by reducing their workload, improving their crop productivity, and increasing household incomes, thus enhancing their financial independence and role in farm management.
Finally, new business models have emerged through collaborations between NGOs and private enterprises such as ACI, PRAN and so on. PRAN, a leading food processing company in Bangladesh, has worked with various development organisations (like WorldFish and BRAC) to create value chains for rural farmers. Through these collaborations, PRAN sources raw materials like vegetables, fruits, and grains from small-scale farmers, many of whom are women. The NGOs assist farmers in adopting improved farming practices, and PRAN buys the produce for processing and sale.This partnership benefits rural women by providing stable income sources and increasing their market access.
All these interventions have bridged rural producers with commercial markets, creating profitable value chains that benefit everyone involved. Rural women have gained self-employment opportunities, while the private sector has tapped into new markets. The outcome has been a diversification of business and the creation of thousands of jobs for both marginalized and middle-class citizens.
However, the sudden shutdown of USAID and the downsizing of other donor funding has cast a long shadow. Over 100 projects in Bangladesh have been affected, impacting millions of beneficiaries across various sectors, including agriculture, skill development, food security, and health programs. USAID's contributions have long served as the backbone for these transformative initiatives. Its absence raises the grim possibility that decades of progress-particularly in women's empowerment and rural development-could stall or even reverse.
Rural women who had begun to take control of their livelihoods, engage in agribusiness, and participate in community decision-making now risk being pushed back into economic vulnerability. Without alternative funding or coordination mechanisms, innovative programmes may fade away, leaving thousands without access to the knowledge, technology, or market linkages they once enjoyed.
The solution lies in strengthening national mechanisms that can carry forward the work initiated by development partners. One promising route is through expanding the scope of PKSF (Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation) and SME Foundation. To strengthen PKSF, the government could consider increasing its funding base and human resource capacity, enabling it to support a wider range of rural development initiatives. Additionally, expanding PKSF's operations to divisional offices beyond Dhaka would enhance regional monitoring and coordination, ensuring more localized, context-specific interventions. Empowering PKSF to work more with local NGOs and the private sector would help leverage existing resources more effectively and ensure better resource mobilisation.
Similarly, the SME Foundation can be empowered by expanding access to affordable finance for small and medium-sized businesses, especially those owned by rural women. This could involve creating dedicated financial products for women entrepreneurs and providing business development services tailored to the needs of rural SMEs. By focusing more on capacity building, market access, and mentoring, the SME Foundation can help rural women not only sustain their businesses but also scale them sustainably.
Such decentralisation would accelerate field-level activities, maintain programme continuity, and empower regional actors-reducing overreliance on foreign donors while keeping the focus on rural women's empowerment.
Though Bangladesh's journey toward rural women's advancement is not entirely dependent on external aid, a significant portion of it has been supported by donations. The foundations have already been laid through years of collaborative effort, innovation, and grassroots engagement. What we now need is a stronger national commitment to sustain and scale these successes.
As we celebrate International Rural Women's Day 2025, on October 15, let it not just be a commemoration but a call to action-to build a self-reliant development ecosystem that ensures every rural woman in Bangladesh continues to grow, lead, and thrive.
S M Faridul Haque a Gender and Inclusive Development Strategist, works for National and International Organisations as consultant.